Aaron Rodgers admitted his scary first reaction to Achilles injury

For once, it looked as if everything was clicking for the New York Jets. They were armed with an elite defense and a strong group of skill position players. It felt as if all they needed was a quarterback. After trading for Aaron Rodgers, the Jets catapulted into Super Bowl contention.

Optimism was at an all-time high for the Jets entering the 2023 campaign with Rodgers under center. It seemed as though a playoff spot, if not a Super Bowl berth, was well within reach when looking at this team realistically.

That optimism lasted for all of four plays. Rodgers went down with an injury just four plays into his Jets career, ending his and the team's season simultaneously. Rodgers had torn his Achilles. With the four-time MVP hitting 40 years of age, he revealed the thoughts going through his mind on the I can Fly podcast.

Aaron Rodgers expected the worst after suffering Achilles injury

"I was really thinking, 'This is it. You don't come back from this injury,'"

Rodgers felt that his Hall of Fame career had come to an end just after he had his new beginning. Times have changed in 2024 as we've seen plenty of athletes return from Achilles tears as if they had never been hurt, but it's still fair for Rodgers to have expected the worst, especially as his first reaction. At his age, it'd be a lot for him to overcome.

"I had this incredible offseason experience in a new city, in a new town, with new teammates, a new organization, an owner for the first time, and really falling back in love with the game that I first fell in love with when I was 5 years old," Rodgers said. "And it was absolutely beautiful and special and deep and rich and yummy, and just incredible. And then, one of the most heartbreaking nights of my life, when I played four plays. Talk about an ego death."

Rodgers was thrilled for his new start with the Jets. He had a loaded team around him and several of his closest NFL friends. He got to play on the big stage with all kinds of expectations wrapped around his shoulders, and it all came crashing down immediately. It would've been easy for anyone to give up, but not Rodgers.

The Jets quarterback attempted to return at various times in the middle of the 2023 campaign, which would've been remarkable. It didn't happen, as New York slipped out of postseason contention, but he should be fully healthy for the 2024 campaign. If Rodgers can stay healthy and the team clicks, they certainly have the talent to compete and make a deep playoff run.